Beater mechanism for braiding machines



B. K. FORD Filed Dec. 10, 1931- BEATER MECHANISM FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Oct. 1.6, 1934.

INVENTOR B. K. 'FORD ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1934 1,976,931 BEATER MECHANISM ron BRAIDING Maori-.mas

Ben King Ford, Westfield, N. J., assigner to West- I ern Electric Company, Incorporated, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 10, 1931, Serial No. 580,108

` s claims. (o1. 96-17) This invention relates to an improved beating device, and'more particularly to an improved thread beating device foruse in braiding machines. n f

An object of the present invention is to providea simplified and improved positively actuated quiet operating thread beater.

In order to attain these objects a non-rotatablev and reciprocable sleeve Vfor intermittently`A more apparent from the following detailed de-V scription, reference being had to they accompanyingv drawing, wherein Fig. 1l is a fragmentary elevational view of a braiding machine of a wellknown type embodying the features ofthe invention, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Ythe drawing wherein similar characters of reference are utilized toindicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, it will'be observed Vin a Vfamiliar type of braidingmachine that the strands 10 to be enveloped withi'na'cord 11 are projected through the bore of a central column 12. The threads 13 and 14 forming the braided fabric are furof all inclined with respect to the axis of the` nished from the supplies 15` and 16 respectively,

which are arranged on a braider head 17 of a.v

usual typewith the axes of the supplies `15 normal to the axes of the supplies 16, and the axes central column. The braider head comprises a circular driver plate 18 supporting the supplies 15 and revolving around the central column, and acircular track plate 19 supporting the supplies 16 and revolving around the driver plate in a direction opposite to the rotation thereof. The actuation of the plates and the guiding of the threads are accomplished in the conventional manner and are not shown. The threads," in

` passing between the supplies and the point where retard its movement over the edge of the column and across the other threads thereby deflecting them'from a predetermined path of travel resulting in ar lackV of uniformity in the braided fabric. In order to facilitate the travel of the knotted threads and to eliminate the drag occasioned by the crossing threads, a vibrating beater is employed for continuously shaking loose the'dragging threads and the knots from engagement with the other threads and the edge of the column.

The beater consists of a sleeve 20 formed with an endless peripheral cam slot 2l and having a rounded upper edge and a bore of sufficient diameter to iit over the central column without bearing thereupon. The sleeve is rendered nonrotatable by oppositely extending portions 22 Vformed on a lower edge thereof and projecting into. similarly disposed recessed extensions 23 on the edge of a collar 24 rigidly fastened ito the 75. column by a bolt 25 connecting the ends kthereof.y The sleeve is positioned intermediate the column and the braider head so that it ismovableaxially of the column under the guidance of a bearingcontact 28 between the sleeve and the 80 upper portion of the braider head.

A plurality of cam rollers 2'? adjustably and rotatably mounted upon screws 28 project radially from `an internal circumference of the braider Vhealdto engage the cam slot in the sleeve whereby 35 a rotation of the braider head causes the rollers,

in cooperation with the cam slot, to reciprocate the ,sleeve continuously while the engagement of the collar and thesleeveprevents vthe rotation of the latter. The rollers are arranged on the braider head so that cach roller simultaneously engages a similar portion of the curvature of the l cam slot in order to transmit a uniform movement to the sleeve and to insure an even wear of the contacting members. The number of im- A pulses of the sleeve for each revolution of the braider head can be readily determined by selecting the curvature of the cam slot-in this case there are twelve impulses for each revolution of the braider head. The rollers are maintained in position by lock screws 29 bearing upon the screws 28.

In operation,V as the plates carrying the thread supplies rotate in opposite directions aro-und the central column, the threads from both sets of supplies are drawn across the edge of the central column to converge for interlacing into the braided fabric approximately halfway between the top of the column and the support 30 through which the cord projects. As the upper and bear upon the lower set of threads 13 from A theA supplies 15, the cam rollers of the rotating braider head cooperate with the cam slot of the sleeve `to Acause an upward movement of the sleeve whereby the rounded upper edge thereof engages the threads adjacent to their crossing point on the edge of the column and lifts them from contact therewith. A further vrotation lof the braiderV head then causes a downward move l ment Vof the sleeve thereby retracting it from, engagement with the threads and replacing-fthe threads again in contact with the edge of thel column. It will be observed that the threadsV 13, of which there are twelve, will cross the threads 14, also twelve in number, twenty four thesets of threadsvare revolving in opposite directions at the same time and each thread 14 passes over and under each pair of threads 13 during the' single revolution of the machine. Therefore, in order'to engage everyv other; crossing of the threads on theedge of the column, it will be necessary to cause twelve upward Vmovements of the sleeve during each revolution of the machine. As the ythread lll passes under and over each pair of threads 13 on the edge kof the column there may be a tendency for the'threads 14 to drag upon theV threads 13, thereby deecting thelattei` from a Vpredeterminedpath. In addition, .if one, thread were knottedjit` is obvious that the edge of the column and the other thusly causinga deflection of all the threads engaged therewith.v To Vobviate entanglements and to facilitate the travel of the threads, Ythe sleeve is reciprocated so as to lift the threads Vupon the occasion of every other crossing on the edge of the column, and it will be understood, of course, such threads notlifted when crossing` on the edge of the column will be raised and stirredV immediately beforeand after Contact with the columnthereby insuring a thoroughY beating of all threads to obtain `theirproperrelationfor interlacing into the braided fabric.

In Fig. l the full lines show thebeater in its lower position with the threads crossing and bearing upon the edge of the column, and the .dotted lines indicate the beater in itsuppermost position with the threads raised above the co1- 11; will be observed, further, menthe Continu- Vobtained since the breakage and wear of the beater parts are negligible.

' 'While details of the construction have been disclosed for the purpose of fully explaining the invention, it will be understood that these are vcapable of other modications within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

y1; A braiding machine having a rotatable braider head, a non-rotatable sleeve positioned within and concentric with the head and formed with an endless peripheral cam slot, anda roller aiilxed to the braider head projecting into the cam `slot to cooperatetherewith for positively Vmoving the sleeve into engagement with the threads and positively retracting it therefrom. Y y i 2.*,In` Valbeater device for a braiding machine having a central column with a braider head rotatable therearound comprising a'sleeve formed with an endless peripheral cam slot and oppo- Y i Isitelyxprojectingextensions, a collar rigidly sethreads-mightretard the passagegof the 'knot,

curedto'the column and Vformed with oppositely projecting recessed extensions for receiving the extensions of the sleeve to prevent the rotation thereof, and afplurality of rollers projecting radially of the braider head engaging the cam slot for cooperation therewith to reciprocate the sleeve intermittently.

3. rInav beaterV device for a braiding machine having a central column with a brai'der'heacl ro'- with to reciprocate the member continuously.

' BEN KrNG Foren.

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